al-Husayn bin Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Abdullah: his birth, description and appearance, and his father and mother

Ja'far bin Muhammad narrates from his father: "Between the births of Sayyiduna al-Hasan and Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) there was a gap of only one tuhr (a single period of purity)."

Bishr bin Ghalib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I was with Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), and he saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: O Abu Abdullah! I saw you on the hands of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which you had stained with blood, when you were brought to him at your birth. He (peace and blessings be upon him) cut your navel cord and wrapped you in a piece of cloth, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) put his saliva into your mouth, and he said words I do not know what they were. Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) had gone ahead of him (peace and blessings be upon him) in cutting the navel cord of Sayyiduna al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not go ahead of me in this matter."

Hubayrah bin Yarim said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever would like to see the person who most resembles the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the neck to the face, let him look at al-Hasan bin Ali; and whoever would like to see the person who most resembles the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the neck to the ankle, in build and complexion, let him look at al-Husayn bin Ali."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever wishes to see the face of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the head to the neck, let him look at al-Hasan; and whoever wishes to see what is below the neck, let him look at al-Husayn. The two of them have divided it between themselves."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Al-Hasan most resembled the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the chest upwards." Then the narrator mentioned a hadith like it.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The person who most resembled the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the head to the chest was al-Hasan."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Al-Hasan most resembled the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the head to the chest."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When Sayyiduna al-Hasan was born, I named him Harb. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Show me my son. What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Hasan." Then when Sayyiduna al-Husayn was born, we named him Harb. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Bring my son to me. What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Husayn." Then when the third son was born, I named him Harb. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Show me my son. What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Muhassin." Then he said: "I have named them after the names of the children of Harun (peace be upon him): Shabbar, Shubayr and Mushabbir."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When Sayyiduna al-Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Show me my son. What have you named him?" I said: I have named him Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Hasan." Then when Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born, he (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said the same thing. I said: I have named him Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Husayn." Then when Sayyidah Fatimah gave birth to the third son, he (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said the same thing. I said: I have named him Harb. He said: "No, rather he is Muhassin." Then he said: "I have named them after the names of the children of Harun (peace be upon him): Shabbar, Shubayr and Mushabbir."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I loved to have the kunyah Abu Harb. So when Sayyiduna al-Hasan was born, I named him Harb. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "What name have you given?" I said: I have named him Harb. He said: "He is Hasan."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When Sayyiduna al-Hasan was born, I named him Harb. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "No, rather name him Hasan." Then Sayyiduna al-Husayn was born, and I named him Harb. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "No, rather name him Husayn." Then another son was born, and I named him Harb. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What have you named him?" I said: Harb. He said: "Name him Muhassin."

Salim bin Abi al-Ja'd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I was a man who loved war. So when Sayyiduna al-Hasan was born, I intended to name him Harb, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) named him Hasan. Then when Sayyiduna al-Husayn was born, I intended to name him Harb, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) named him Husayn, and he said: "I have named these two sons of mine after the names of the two sons of Harun (peace be upon him), Shabbar and Shubayr."

Sayyiduna Salman (al-Farisi) (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have named the two of them - meaning al-Hasan and al-Husayn - after the names of the two sons of Harun (peace be upon him), Shabbar and Shubayr."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to dye his hair with wasmah (indigo).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he had named his eldest son Hamzah, and had named Husayn Ja'far after his (Husayn's) paternal uncle; then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) named the two of them Hasan and Husayn.

Al-Ayzar bin Hurayth said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Hasan and Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) dyeing their hair with henna and katam."

Qays, the freed slave of Sayyiduna Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Hasan and Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) dyeing their hair black."

Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah said: "Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred on the day of Ashura in the year 61 AH, when he was 58 years old, and he used to dye his hair with henna and katam."

Ja'far bin Muhammad narrates from his father: "Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred at the age of 52; at that same age Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali was martyred, at that same age Ali bin al-Husayn passed away, and at that same age Muhammad bin Ali bin al-Husayn passed away."

Sufyan bin Uyaynah said: I heard (the Caliph) al-Mahdi ask Ja'far: How old was Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was martyred? He said: "58 years, and at that same age Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali was martyred."

Al-Ayzar bin Hurayth said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) dyeing his hair black."

Abd al-Rahman bin Buzurj said: "I saw the two sons of Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna al-Hasan and Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both), dyeing their hair black, and Sayyiduna al-Husayn used to leave the hair below his lower lip (the 'anfaqah) undyed."

Al-Sha'bi said: "I went in to Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he had dyed his hair black."

Ja'far narrates from his father: "Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to dye his hair black."

Sa'id al-Maqburi said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) dyeing his hair black."

It is narrated from Ali bin al-Husayn (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to dye his hair black.

Umar bin Ata' bin Abi al-Khuwar and Ubaydullah bin Abi Yazid said: "We saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) dyeing his hair with wasmah (indigo)."

The tailor who cut a shirt for Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: Shall I make it reach the top of the foot? He said: "No." I said: Then shall I make it reach below the ankles? He said: "Whatever is below the ankles is in the Fire."

Mustaqim bin Abd al-Malik said: "I saw on Sayyiduna al-Hasan and Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) upstanding socks of khazz (a silk-blend fabric), and I saw them riding trade-bred horses (baradhin)."

Al-Ayzar bin Hurayth said: "I saw on Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) a red cloak of khazz."

Al-Suddi said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) wearing a turban of khazz, and his hair was coming out from under the turban."

Al-Sha'bi said: "I went in to Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was wearing a garment of khazz."

Ja'far narrates from his father: "Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to wear his ring on his left hand."

Abu Ukkashah al-Hamdani said: "I saw Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) wearing a silk robe on the day he was martyred."

Sulayman bin al-Haytham said: Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was performing tawaf around the House (the Ka'bah), and he wanted to kiss the Black Stone, so the people made way for him, while al-Farazdaq bin Ghalib was watching him. A man asked: O Abu Firas! Who is this? So al-Farazdaq recited these verses:

This is the one whose footsteps al-Batha recognises, and the House knows him, as do the sacred precinct (al-Haram) and the land outside it.

This is the son of the best of all the servants of Allah; this is the God-fearing, the pure, the clean, the distinguished one.

The corner of al-Hatim would almost hold him fast, recognising him, when he touches it.

When Quraysh see him, one of them exclaims: To his noble qualities all nobility comes to an end.

He lowers his gaze out of modesty, and others lower their gaze in awe of him, so he is not spoken to except when he smiles.

In his hand is a staff whose fragrance is diffusing, in the hand of an awe-inspiring one on whose nose dignity shines.

His branch has sprung from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); pure are his elements, his nature and his character.

No generous man can reach their limit, and no people can come near them, however honoured they may be.

Which tribe is there upon whose neck there is not a favour from his precedence, or which has not received his bounties?

Al-Musayyab bin Najabah said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Shall I not tell you about my own close ones and my household?" We said: Certainly. He said: "As for Hasan, he is a man of the dining spread and the food bowl, a young man among young men; and if the two rings of the saddle girth were to meet (i.e. if the battle became fierce), he would be of no use to you in war, not even as much as a sparrow's snare. As for Abdullah bin Ja'far, he is a man of amusement, ease and idle things; and do not let the two sons of Abbas deceive you. As for me and Husayn, I am who I am and Husayn is who he is: we are from you and you are from us. By Allah! I fear that these people will be made to prevail over you because of their righteousness in their land and your corruption in your land, because of their fulfilment of trust and your betrayal, because of their obedience to their leader and your disobedience to him, and because of their unity upon their falsehood and your division upon your truth; until their rule becomes long, until they do not leave anything Allah has made sacred without making it lawful, and there remains no house of clay or tent of hair but their oppression enters it; until each of you becomes their follower, and until one of you supports them the way a slave supports his master: when he is present he obeys him, and when he is absent he curses him; and until the wealthiest of you will be the one with the best opinion of Allah. So if Allah grants you well-being, accept it, and if you are tested, be patient, for the final outcome belongs to the God-fearing."

Al-Musayyab bin Najabah al-Fazari said: We were sitting with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when the people mentioned his household, so Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "As for Hasan, he would be of no use to you in war, not even as much as a sparrow's snare; as for Abdullah bin Ja'far, he is a man of ease and the dining spread; and as for Husayn, he is from you and you are from him."

Al-Layth bin Sa'd said: "Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in the month of Rajab, when four nights of it had passed, and Yazid remained caliph for two years. In the year 61 AH, when ten nights of Muharram had passed, on the day of Ashura, Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were martyred. Also martyred were al-Abbas bin Ali bin Abi Talib, whose mother was Umm al-Banin, of Banu Amir; Ja'far bin Ali bin Abi Talib; Abdullah bin Ali bin Abi Talib; Uthman bin Ali bin Abi Talib; Abu Bakr bin Ali bin Abi Talib, whose mother was Layla bint Mas'ud, of Banu Nahshal; Ali bin al-Husayn bin Ali bin Abi Talib the elder, whose mother was Layla, of Thaqif; Abdullah bin al-Husayn, whose mother was al-Rabab bint Imri' al-Qays, of Banu Kalb; Abu Bakr bin al-Husayn, who was from a slave-mother (umm walad); al-Qasim bin al-Hasan, who was from a slave-mother; Awn bin Abdullah bin Ja'far bin Abi Talib; Ja'far bin Aqil bin Abi Talib; Muslim bin Aqil bin Abi Talib; Sulayman, the freed slave of Sayyiduna al-Husayn; and Abdullah, the suckling infant of Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them). And Sayyiduna al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred at the age of 58."

Ja'far narrates from his father: "Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred at the age of 58."

Mundhir al-Thawri said: Whenever the martyrdom of Sayyiduna al-Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was mentioned in the presence of Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah, he would say: "Seventeen of those who were born from the womb of Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) were martyred along with him."